There is a little piece of heaven that only appears for up to an hour a day in Palau

Recently our writer PK Sanjun visited the tropical island nation of Palau and tried some of their sushi, declaring it the “best in the world” after Japan’s. However, that was just the tip of the iceberg of wonders that can be found here.

Of course when traveling, you always have to check out the popular sightseeing spots. When you go to Paris you have to see the Louvre, or when you go to Cambodia it would be strange if you didn’t check out Angkor Wat. In the case of Palau, Long Beach is the place to be, but it’s a little tougher to access than most tourist attractions.

Not to be confused with the California home of Snoop Dogg and Warren G, this Long Beach is a stretch of sand that only appears for up to an hour each day. Actually, some days it might not even appear at all, so be sure to check ahead if you plan to visit.

▼ Approximate location of Long Beach

PK was mainly interested in seeing this ephemeral beach but individual tours to it were hard to come by. Instead, he had to get a package tour called the Milky Way Set for US$100. This included a visit to the Milky Way, Long Beach, and two snorkeling sessions.

It was a seven hour tour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. which picked PK up from his hotel via shuttle bus and took him to the tour boat. We’ll save the part about the Milky Way – a special lagoon with white mud – for another time.

PK wasn’t much of a snorkeler and only stuck his head under the water for a few moments. However, even that was a treat as every time he bobbed his head down a paradise of beautifully colored fish could be seen all around him.

A post shared by P.K.サンジュン (@p.k.sanjun) on Oct 21, 2017 at 12:14am PDT

Finally, the boat headed to the site of Long Beach and waited for the tide to reveal it. It steadily began to appear when PK’s guide, studying it with his gaze, said, “Probably about thirty minutes today.”

Not the perfect-condition one hour, but our reporter would take what he could get. It wasn’t long before Long Beach appeared in all its glory. PK’s breath was taken away by the serene beauty of it all. The bright blue waters stretched out under the clear blue sky to the World Heritage Site of Rock Island.

“This must be what heaven looks like,” thought PK surrounded by the warmth of the sun and relaxing colors of the sand and ocean around him. The entire experience had a healing effect on his soul.

The guide was very knowledgeable about the area and not only could explain a lot about it, but had some really good recommendations for ideal photo spots and poses for his Instagram account.